Adjusting means for attrition mills and the like



R. LEE

May 11, 1954 ADJUSTING MEANS FOR ATTRITION MILLS AND THE LIKE Filed Dec. 18, 1952 INVENTOR 4 ROY L LEE M65: 1 96 .55 ATTORNEY FIG.9

Patented May 11, 1954 ADJUSTING MEANS FOR ATTRITION MILLS AND THE LIKE Royal Lee, Elm Grove, Wis., assignor to Lee Foundation for Nutritional Research, Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application December 18, 1952, Serial No. 326,746

9 Claims. (01. 241-4258) The present invention relates to adjusting or tramming means for attrition mills and thelike.

A type of attrition mill heretofore devised for processing grain and other materials includes a rotor member and a cooperating stator member, the latter being axially shiftable to vary the space or gap between these members. In a mill ofthis type the marginal gap between the rotor and stator members may be quite narrow, as when grinding flour, or it may be relatively wide, as when cracking or scouring grain. Adjustment of the gap is also necessary in order to compensate for wear. In many forms of these mills, it is inconvenient to inspect or check the gap be- ,tween the rotor and stator members. Adjusting apparatus heretofore provided for such mills has required expert manipulation to obtain a uniform gap of the desired width.

An object of the present invention is to provide improved adjusting means by which quick and accurate adjustment of the gap between the relatively rotatable members of a rotary attrition mill or the like can be made in the field by unskilled users.

.Another object is to provide mill adjusting means of this character which is of simple and durable construction and capable of inexpensive manufacture.

The invention further consists in the several features hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing,

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of an attrition mill incorporating adjusting devices of the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail vertical sectional view showing one of the adjusting devices;

Fig. 3 is a top view of the mounted adjusting device; i

Fig. 4 is a bottom view of the mounted adjusting device;

Fig. 5 is a plan View of a support ring for a stator stone;

Fig. 6 is an end view of a screw-threaded plug member;

Fig. 7 is an elevational view of a locator stem;

Fig. 8 is a plan view of a snap ring for the locator stem;

Fig. 9 is a top view of a dial holder;

Fig. 10 is a top view of a dial disk;

Fig. 11 is a top view of an adjusting collar, and

Fig. l2 is a top view of a washer.

In the drawing, l5 designates generally an at trition mill provided with adjusting means of the invention. By way of example, the mill is here shown .to be of the type in which a disk-like abrasive rotor I6 rotates on a vertical axis and coopcrates with an overlying centrally apertured stator ll. The stator is adjustably supported as hereinafter described at the underside of a circular mounting plate or back plate 18. A sheet metal housing member 19 has a flat top wall 20 secured to the marginal portion of the mounting plate to form an extension thereof, and has a depending cylindrical wall or skirt 2! concentrically surrounding the rotor and stator. The inverted cuplike housing thus formed is carried by frame bars 22 secured to the top wall 20 of the housing member [9. The lower edge of the housing skirt 2! has a bead 23 adapted for detachably supporting the usual sieve 24 and filter tent 25 when the machine is used as a flour mill.

The mounting plate [8 has a central opening 26 and an upstanding central boss 21 with a conical seat 23 for the inwardly sloping bottom of a hopper29. An electric motor 30 is suitably secured in the hopper, as by screws 3i which engage supporting feet 32 for the motor and. also secure the hopper to the mounting plate. The motor has a vertical shaft 33 which projects downwardly through the centrally apertured mounting plate and mill stator.

The mill rotor is is supported and driven by the motor shaft and comprises an abrasive disk or stone 34 rigidly attached on a marginally flanged metal carrier disk or tray 35 to which the lower end of the motor shaft is secured. A fan 36 is disposed below the carrier disk 35 and rotates therewith.

The mill stator ll comprises an abrasive disk or stone 31 rigidly secured, as by cementing at 31, in a lugged metal support ring 38. The stator stone 3'! has a circular bottom cavity 39 and a communicating central opening 40 which registers with the central opening 26 of the mounting plate. Acylindrical shell 4| extends in the registering openings of 'the mounting plate and stator stone and has a radial feeding arm 42 in the stone cavity 39. The marginal portions of the stator and rotor stones are spaced from each other to form an annular gap 43 for discharge of comminuted material.

The support ring 38 of the mill stator has formed through its lug portions three screwthreaded vertical bores 64 spaced 120 apart, the axes of these bores being equidistant from and parallel to the rotor axis. The bores M are aligned with three similarly spaced vertical bores 45 of smaller diameter formed through the mounting plate l8. A pair of upper and lower annular screw members 46 and Marc snugly threaded in tends upwardly through the corresponding open-r 101;

ing 45 in the mounting plate. Near its lower end,

each stem is provided with a surroundingan-nular' groove 51 receiving therein a split resilientre tainer ring 52 presenting a shoulder en aging the? bottom of a counterbore or pocketi53 :formed in the lower screw member t1, the ring fil'beingzcon-nfined against spreading by theside. walls .of .the.

counterbore.

This construction provides a slight universal action between the locator stem :anathe lower screw member. The lower screw member forms, in effect, a head. on the stem. Eachupper screw member 135. has its/upper. .flat annular. face.

in ,engagement with thefiatbottomvor. .innerefacer 1 of the-mounting plate- 58..

Three dials rest on theflat upperorouten-face.

ofthe mounting plate. lfi'andesurround. the 001':- responding locator stems-50.. Each-dial. com-.-

prises a holder disk 54 witha shallow circular top,

recess 55 receiving thereina calibrateddialdisk,

56 flush therewith, the dial disk. havingsuitable indiciaor characters. 51, such asan arcuate series of letters, on the .marginal portion .of its .top: face adapted:to cooperate-..with a radial indent mark .58 formed in;,the marginal portion of the mounting plate.- Thetholder disk Whats a central hexagonal opening 59 in lwhichthe locator stem/5i!fitsindriving; relation. The dial disk 56 normally rotatable withathe-associatedaholder :diskbut, has a central. circular'opening 60' 1 looselyr; receiving thedoca-tor-fstem so asz to-pere,

mit rotative adjustment ofwthe dial-.diskwithre-:-- spect to the holder disk, ashereinafteredescribed... For this purpose the dial disk-,hasxa small open-. ingr-Blnear itsiouter edgeeadaptedsto receive -a pointedtool 62,-.Fig. 2. Restingonrthe-dialedisk is a Washer 63 having a central hexagonal'opening-64in which the-.-locatonstem-fits. Bearing on the washer 63 -.-is a hexagonal adjusting collar; 65 having a centralhexagonal aopeningz .66"; in

whichthelocator stem fits,in driving relations" The collar is adapted to. be I turned by a "wrench or other suitabletool. The locator -stem:59 has=a reduced screw-threaded upper end portion-.61 re ceivingthcreon a caplnut 68411 releasable-clamping engagement with the :upperface of -the, .ad-o

justingcollar 65 -.The clamping pressure is trans= mitted1throughr-the-collar 65; washer-163', dializi disk, 56, and-holder disk .5 l-to the upper or-outer face of the -mounting plate-ml 8,- thus :urgingthe:

locator, stem 5il-upwardly and. holding the-upper 41., throughtherstator support-ring--38; and.:-f

thence to the upper screw member- 46w This'ar rangement takes up {any play. between. the two tandemscrew-members-dfiand 4! andthe screws" threads; in the'openingM of the'stator. supports:

ring .38-,- so-as to insure against any looseness of.

the 1 support ring. which is carried by.the1 screw:-

members.

In: :the initial adjustment of the a mill, Which-r:

maybe a factory adjustment, the.cap nuts15Bon 1'. thethree locatorstems-are slightly loosened; and:;

4 the stems are turned by the adjusting collars, 65

' until the stator stone 3! lightly contacts the rotor stone 34 during its rotation. The locator stems are then turned slightly by the collars 65 in the reverse direction until the stones are just out of contact, providing a small uniform clearanceorrgapgfi; between the stonesne This adjustment of the stones is suitable-for producing fine flour. The dial disks 56 are then individually turned in the then stationary holder disks 54 by the pointed tool 62, until all the dial disks are in the-sameyrelative"position with respect to the associated index marks 58. By way of example, allethree: of the;dial=.-disks may be set to the A" The cap nuts 68 are th'enatightened touhold the mill stator firmly in its adjusted position,

After the mill is in use and it is desired to grind a coarse eiiour or meal, or to produce cracked grain, the operator slightly loosens the cap nuts 68andthen turns the locator stems 50-:by.=the;as-

'sociatedc wrench receiving; collars- 65 through:

equal predetermined-.ang1es:indicated: by. the-.ast= sociateddials; During this; man-ipulation';each:r,= dial-diskfifi is frictionally engaged betweenrzthe associated holder disk 54 and washersfiii sothati the-dial disk-turns with the locator: stem:-.:. The": washer 63 also guards the, dial vindiciaefronraccidental' wrenchniarksr. Thea-cap. nuts268eare' then retightened', thereby clamping the "stator: support "ring'33 in its new raised positionitd provide a 1 greater: but iuniiornr' clearance between the stator androtorstones.-:- When the "mill" is to be readjusted to: produce fine: flour, 'th'e' cap nuts 68 are againxslightly loosened 'and. the-locator" stems :5 0-. with their dials 'areturnedbttck to their i original positions, whereupon: the. cap. nuts" "are" retightened to maintain the adi'ustmentfi After the mill has been in' .use :forsometime,

wear onthe grinding surfaces: will increase the discharge-gap between the relatively" rotatable stones, but the gap can be restored to "its proper width by manipulating the adjusting-devices; as

above described. The compensatingadjustment can :be' easilyand accurately eife'cted byrelatively unskilled'persons since the dials wi-ll' indi cate the proper amount of' angular displacement of the locator stems and make it unnecessaryto inspect or gage the gapbetween the" stones:

In the machine illustrated, themounting plate l8 and support ring 38 form a pair of-relatively translatable P body members; and -tne adj listing means serves to effect accurate and rigid -positioning of the shiftable bocymember.

" opening ;in' said first body m'ember. beingscrews threaded, first and second rotatable screw members engaged in said. threaded opening'and dis: posed in tandemrelation, said first screw member being axially engageable withthe adjatent side of said second-body member, a rotatable-stem-extending axially in said screwmembers in driving relation therewith "andalso extending through the" opening :of said second body member; said stemrihaving arr: axialiithrust: engagement'iwit said: secondzscrew-member fo1- "..urging;saidisecondit While the adjusting means of theinvention; 7

screw member and first body member toward said second body member, a dial at the side of said second body member distant from said first screw member, said stem extending through said dial in driving engagement therewith, said second body member having index means cooperating with said dial, and a clamping nut on said stem for clamping said dial to said second body member and for applying clamping pressure through said stem to said screw members.

2. In combination, a pair of relatively displaceable first and second body members having therein aligned openings the aXis of which extends parallel to the direction of displacement, the opening in said first body member being screwthreaded, first and second screw members engaged in said threaded opening and disposed in tandem relation, said first screw member being axially engageable with the adjacent side of said second body member, a rotatable stem extending in the aligned openings of said body members and disposed in driving relation with said screw members for displacing said first body member, said stem further having a connection with said second screw member for applying axial pressure to said second screw member in a direction toward said second body member, and clamping means cooperating with said stem for urging said screw members relatively toward each other and toward said second body member to lock said first body member in adjusted position.

3. In combination, a body member having a screw-threaded opening therein and being displaceable in a direction parallel to the axis of said opening, first and second rotatable screw members engaged in said threaded opening and disposed in tandem relation, driving means rotatively engageable with said screw members for displacing said body member, and clamping means cooperating with said driving means for urging said screw members relatively toward each other in said threaded opening to lock said body member in adjusted position.

4. In combination, a pair of relatively displaceable first and second body members having therein aligned openings the axis of which extends parallel to the direction of displacement, the opening of said first body member being screw-threaded, rotatable screw means engaged in said threaded opening and axially engageable with the adjacent side of said second body member, a rotatable stem in driving relation to said screw means for effecting relative displacement of said body members, said stem extending through the opening of said second body member, a dial at the side of said second body member distant from said screw means, said rotatable stem extending through said dial in driving relation thereto, said second body member having index means cooperating with said dial, and a clamping nut on said stem for clamping said dial to said second body member and for applying clamping pressure through said stem to said screw means.

5. In combination, a pair of relatively displaceable first and second body members having therein aligned openings the axis of which extends parallel to the direction of displacement, the opening in said first body member being screwthreaded, rotatable screw means engaged in said threaded opening and axially engageable with said second body member, a rotatable stem of non-circular cross-section extending axially in said screw means in driving relation thereto for eficcting relative displacement of said body members, said stem having an annular groove at an end portion thereof, a resilient ring in said groove axially engaging said screw means for applying axial pressure to said screw means, said screw means having a pocket receiving said ring, a rotatable dial at the side of said second body member distant from said screw means, said dial receiving said stem therethrough in driving relation thereto, and a clamping nut on said stem for clampin said dial to said second body member and for applying clamping pressure through said stem to said screw means.

6. In combination, a body member having an opening, a rotatable clamping stem extending in said opening, a shiftable member having a screw connection with said stem for efiecting displacement of said shiftable member parallel to said stem by rotation of said stem, a rotatable dial holder surrounding said stem in driving engagement therewith and bearing on said body member, a dial disk surrounding said stem and being relatively rotatable with respect thereto for effecting rotative adjustment of said dial disk while said stem is stationary, said dial disk frictionally bearing at one side against said holder and being normally rotatable with said holder and stem, a rotatable member surrounding said stem in driving engagement therewith and frictionally bearing on the other side of said dial, said body member having index means cooperating with said dial disk, and a releasable clamping nut on said stem for holding said stem and dial disk against rotation,

7. In combination, relatively displaceable first and second body members having aligned openings the axis of which extends parallel to the direction of displacement, the opening in said first body member being screw-threaded, rotatable screw means in said threaded opening axially engageable with said second body member, a stem extending in said openings :and disposed in driving relation to said screw means for rotating said screw means to displace said first body member, said stem further having an axial connection with said screw means for urging said screw means toward said second body member, a rotatable dial slidably surrounding said stem in driving relation thereto and bearing at the side of said second body member distant from said first body member, a tool-receiving collar slidably surrounding said stem in driving engagement therewith, and a clamping nut on said stem for applying clamping pressure to said dial and collar and for applying clamping pressure through said stem to said screw means.

8. In combination, first and second relatively displaceable body members having aligned openings the axis of which is parallel to the direction of displacement, the opening in said first body member being screw-threaded, first and second rotatable screw members engaged in said threaded opening and disposed in tandem relation, a rotatable stem extending in said openings and disposed in driving relation to said screw members for simultaneously rotating said screw members, and clamping means including said stem for urging said screw members relatively toward each other to lock said screw members with respect to said first body member.

9. In an attrition mill and the like having a rotor member and a cooperating stator member which latter is axially shiftable to vary the gap between said members, a mounting member for saidstator member disposed at the side of said stator member distant from the rotor member and having a plurality of openings therethrough paml'lektoxand spaced-about; the axisrofrjahe-rotorl: member, K said stateri member; having; screw threadedmopen-ings therein ialigned-swith said mounting; member openin s; rotatable---screw-- means-inasa-idthreaded openingsaxially engage.- 5 able; with said. mounting member, stemsextendingzinrsaid mounting member openings'and being in; driving relation to said screw means for axially shi-fiting; ;said,stator.;member, idials at kthe' outer: side of-asaid. mountmg memberreceiving-saidmw speetivezstemssiherethrqugn invdriving relatientherewith, ;said mounting membenhavingzinde 1., means. cooperating-with, said. rdials and gclamping means on each stemafon clamping the. associated dial-mo lsaid-mounting -memben-and-for applying 7-,"

clamping;=;pressure through said. stem to. thesas sociated screw means" No references. cited; 

